TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2012

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TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2012 was a professional wrestlingpay-per-viewevent produced by WWE, which took place on December 16, 2012, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event was WWE's last pay-per-view event in 2012. It was also the first professional wrestling event to be held at the Barclays Center, and WWE's first event held in Brooklyn. In addition to the event, winners of several categories of the WWE Slammy Awards were announced in the pre-show.

Contents

Background

TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs featured professional wrestling matches involving different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines that will be played out on World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) television programs. Wrestlers will portray villains or heroes as they follow a series of events that build tension and culminate into a wrestling match or series of matches.

Big Show became the reigning World Heavyweight Champion on October 28, 2012, at the Hell in a Cell performance after defeating then reigning champion Sheamus in a match to contend for the title. The conflict between Big Show and Sheamus intensified after the match, leading to Big Show's attack on Sheamus and William Regal while the two were visiting an English pub during WWE's European tour. Another fight broke out between the two of them in a parking lot during the November 16 episode of SmackDown. The conflict reached its worst during their Survivor Series rematch fight: the Big Show used a referee to shield himself from one of Sheamus's attacks and managed to deliver a knock out punch while Sheamus was checking on the downed referee. This foul play ultimately caused the Big Show to be disqualified from the match, meaning he would retain his title until a contender could defeat him. Shortly after failing to regain the title, Sheamus attacked Big Show using a steel chair while the Big Show pleaded for a cessation of the attacks. Sheamus relented, but followed up the beating by performing his finishing move, the Brogue Kick, on the Big Show. Therefore, the 2012 chairs match between Big Show and Sheamus was first announced on the November 23 episode of SmackDown by General Manager Booker T. TLC:Tables, Ladders & Chairs events are an emotional point for Big Show as he both gained and then lost his title during the last event held in 2011 in a record of 45 seconds, as a result of Daniel Bryan cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase after Mark Henry knocked out Show post-match.

CM Punk, the reigning WWE Champion, began longing for respect from everybody else. Ryback has challenged him for the title, but failed to defeat Punk at Hell in the Cell due to former referee Brad Maddox's interference. For costing him the match, Ryback thoroughly defeated Maddox during a singles match on the November 13 edition of Raw. In a Survivor Series triple threat match with John Cena and Punk, Ryback again failed to take the title because three men from NXT assaulted him: Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns. On the November 26 episode of Raw, Ryback demanded a tables, ladders, and chairs match against Punk and refused to leave the ring until it was arranged. Vickie Guerrero made the match official. The following week, Ryback assaulted Punk with a chair and a ladder before powerbombing him through a table. CM Punk was injured after the altercation, so instead, Ryback will team with Team Hell No against Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns (now collectively known as The Shield) in a Six Man tag team TLC match. This match (which was announced via a press release by WWE chairman Vince McMahon) will differ from standard TLC matches as it will be decided via pinfall or submission.

Leading up to Survivor Series, Wade Barrett replaced The Miz as the final entrant of Team Ziggler, matching up with Kofi Kingston. During the Survivor Series tag team match between Team Foley and Team Ziggler, Barrett managed to pin Kingston and eliminate him. On the November 19 episode of Raw, Barrett defeated Kingston in a non-title match. During the November 26 edition of Raw, Barrett was granted a match to vie for the Intercontinental Championship title at the Tables, Ladders & Chairs event.

Since October 2012, John Cena was accused having an inappropriate romantic relationship with AJ Lee during the latter's time as Raw general manager, which newly appointed Raw managing supervisor Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler were trying to prove, beginning a feud between Cena and Ziggler. During the December 3rd episode of Raw, Guerrero (after being coaxed by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon) made a ladder match between Cena and Ziggler for Ziggler's Money in the Bank World Heavyweight Championship contract at the TLC PPV. It marks the second time Ziggler would defend his contract. Antonio Cesaro was feuding with R-Truth heading into the PPV after R-Truth unsuccessfully challenged him for the United States Championship at Survivor Series. The weeks building up included them facing off in a Six Man Tag Team Match and with Cesaro mocking America on the episode of SmackDown before the show. R-Truth suffered a small knee injury but competed anyway.

Event

The pre-show of the pay-per-view is a "Santa's Little Helpers" battle royal for the #1 contender to the Divas Championship, which involved Alicia Fox, Aksana, Naomi, Cameron, Tamina Snuka, Kaitlyn, Layla, Natalya and Rosa Mendes. Mendes is eliminated first. Naomi and Cameron double team Aksana. Tamina eliminates Cameron next. Aksana wastes time on the ropes and gets eliminated. Layla and Natalya go at it now. Tamina eliminates Layla after she fights with Natalya on the apron. Kaitlyn hits Tamina and Natalya. Kaitlyn and Naomi eliminate Natalya. Naomi pushes them and Tamina is eliminated. Naomi dropkicks Kaitlyn off the apron for the win and the title shot.

The first match of the night was a table match for the #1 contender to the Tag Team Champion. This match saw Team Rhodes Scholars and the team of Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara. The match starts. Damien Sandow and Rey, Cara and Cody Rhodes. They double team Cody and send him out to the floor. Rey and Cara toss Sandow out and they've cleared the ring early. Rey and Cara set the table up. Rey puts Sandow on it while Cara goes up top. Cody makes the save. Cody throws Rey out of the ring while they double team Cara. They put Cara's leg in between the steel steps and ram it with a table. They set up two tables on the floor and put Rey and Cara on top of them. Rey goes for 619 and nails it. Rey puts Cody on the table and goes up top. Sandow knocks Rey off the top and makes the save. Cara comes in and takes down Sandow with an enziguri. Cara tries to springboard in on Sandow but Cody rushes in and shoves Cara out of mid-air, sending him crashing through a table on the floor.

The next match was for the United States Championship between the US Champion Antonio Cesaro and R-truth. Back and forth to start the match. Cesaro takes control and gets the first pin attempt. Truth turns it around and takes Cesaro to the mat. Cesaro takes Truth to the turnbuckles but Truth hulks up and fights back. Truth drops Cesaro twice and hits the big elbow off the ropes. Truth with a kick and then the scissors kick. Truth covers for 2. Cesaro looks to come back but Truth kicks him in the jaw for a close 2 count. Cesaro hits an uppercut from behind and then the Neutralizer for the win.

The third match of the event is the Intercontinental Championship match between Wade Barrett and the champion Kofi Kingston. Barrett slams Kofi to start but can't get a 1 count. Kofi makes a comeback with an elbow and a dropkick. Kofi leaps right back out to the floor and takes out Barrett with a dive. Barrett comes back in and hits the abdominal stretch into a slam for a 2 count. Barrett slingshots Kofi off the ropes into a backbreaker for another pin attempt. Kofi counters a move off the ropes and hits a Russian leg sweep this time. Kofi unloads and hits the Boom Drop. Kofi goes for Trouble in Paradise but Barrett ducks. Barrett goes for the big sideslam but Kofi counters with a roll up. Kofi hits SOS for another 2 count. Barrett with a big boot and then the big sideslam for another 2 count. Barrett nails the big sideslam again but Kofi kicks out. Barrett goes for the Bullhammer elbow but Kofi counters with Trouble in Paradise for the win.

The next match is the first ever 6-man Tables, Ladders and Chairs match decided by either pinfall or submission between the trio of The Shield and the Team Hell No and Ryback. Kane goes with Roman Reigns while Dean Ambrose tangles with Ryback in the corner. Ryback comes back with a Thesz press and slams Ambrose's head into the mat. The Shield rush the ring and beat down Ryback. Kane and Daniel Bryan are out. Kane grabs a ladder but Seth Rollins kicks it into his face. The Shield triple team Bryan. Ryback comes in and takes the Shield out with a ladder. He beats Rollins and Ambrose with it over and over. Reigns makes the save with a chair. Kane comes in and takes care of Reigns. Bryan with a ton of kicks to Reigns in the corner. Ambrose uses a chair on Bryan on the floor. Kane with chairshots on top of a ladder while Rollins is under it. Ryback finally fights off Rollins and Ambrose. Ryback sandwiches them both on a ladder and splashes into it. Reigns comes in and beats Ryback down before he can punish Rollins and Ambrose any more. They triple team Ryback again with a ladder and a chair. They take Ryback to the floor and hit the triple powerbomb through the Spanish announce table. Ambrose beats down Bryan and slams the chair with him. Rollins and Ambrose work over Bryan and taunt him. Ambrose and Rollins put Bryan up on the table while Reigns keeps watch on the floor. Kane gets beat down. Kane countered a splash on Reigns, and another. Kane with a big sideslam and a 2 count. Kane chokeslams Ambrose through the chair. Reigns spears Kane through the fan barrier and it looks like they took out the timekeeper too. They stack chairs, barrier pieces and other stuff on top of Kane, burying him. Bryan has Ambrose in the Yes Lock in the ring. Roman reigns rushes the ring but gets caught in the hold. The Shield beat Bryan down again. Ryback kicks a chair into Reigns' face. Ryback with a running powerslam on Rollins. Ryback presses Rollins and tosses him out to the floor onto Ambrose. Ambrose drops him with a chairshot to the back. More chairshots to Ryback. Rollins knocks the ladder over onto him as Ambrose hits him with chairshots. Reigns sets the table up and they put Ryback on top of it. The Shield point to a very tall ladder. Rollins climbs up high as Bryan gets up in the ring. Ryback comes to and gets up off the table. Rollins climbs up but Ryback follows. Rollins tries to jump to another ladder but Ryback pulls him off. Ryback pulls Rollins to the floor and he crashes hard through a bunch of tables. Ambrose and Reigns go back to Bryan in the ring now. They double powerbomb Bryan through a table. Reigns covers for the win as Ryback stumbles back to the ring.

Next is the Divas Championship Match between the #1 contender Naomi and Eve. Eve taunts her and strikes first. Naomi turns it around and hits some offense. Naomi with a butt bump to the face, sending Eve to the floor to regroup. Naomi with some nice moves on the ropes. She misses a crossbody from the top and turns it around. Eve hits her neckbreaker for the win.

The sixth match is a chair match for the World Heavyweight Championship between its champion Big Show and Sheamus. Sheamus takes Show to the corner and unloads. Show fights out but Sheamus takes his knee out. Sheamus grabs a chair and follows. Show stops and back kicks the chair into the mouth of Sheamus. Sheamus scoop slams Show for a 2 count. Sheamus leaps from the top with a chair in hand and takes Show down again. Sheamus tries the same move but Show spears him in mid-air. Sheamus fights back but Show drops him with a knee to the face. Sheamus finally turns it around after catching Show held up on the top rope. Show chokeslams him out of nowhere for 2. Show sets up chairs for a chokeslam through them but Sheamus counters. Sheamus hits White Noise through the chairs for a close 2 count. Sheamus goes for a Brogue Kick but Show moves and Sheamus gets hung up on the ropes. Show nails the knockout punch for another close 2 count. Show goes under the ring and pulls out an extra large steel chair, one made for a big man. Show cracks Sheamus in the back with the massive chair and covers him for the win.

The seventh match is a 6-man tag team match between the 3MB and the team of The Miz, Alberto del Rio and the legendary The Brooklyn Brawler. Heath Slater starts off with Del Rio. Brawler tags in and takes control of Slater. Jinder Mahal comes in but Brawler takes control of him too. Brawler turns around to a superkick from Slater and 3MB turns things around. Drew McIntyre comes in and continues the beat down on Brawler. Slater misses a second rope splash and Brawler tags in Miz. Miz unloads on Mahal and knocks Slater off the apron. Miz hits Skull Crushing Finale on Mahal and tags in Brawler. Brawler locks in the Boston Crab for the win.

The main event is a ladder match for the World Heavyweight ChampionshipMoney in the Bank contract of Dolph Ziggler, who will try to defend it against John Cena. Cena drops Ziggler with a shoulder first and the crowd boos him. They lock up again and Ziggler applies a headlock. Ziggler with a chair shot to the gut on the floor. Ziggler sets the ladder up in the ring but Cena stops him. Cena grabs the ladder and hits Ziggler in the face with it. Cena tosses Ziggler over the announce table. Cena ends up locking in the STF. Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment but Ziggler counters and hits the Zig Zag. Ziggler with chairshots, taking Cena back down. Cena counters a superkick and hits the AA but Ziggler rolls to the floor. Vickie Guerrero runs down and brings a chair in the ring. She goes to hit Cena with it but AJ Lee comes down. AJ spears Vickie and slams her. She hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Vickie. Cena climbs up but AJ pushes the ladder over and Cena goes down. Ziggler climbs the ladder and retrieves his briefcase for the win

Aftermath

The big stories out of this show were the face turn by Alberto Del Rio and the heel turn by AJ Lee. On the New Year's Eve episode of Raw, the champions were allowed to pick their opponents to defend their titles against. Big Show challenged Del Rio's ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez, and brutally assaulted him until Del Rio came to Rodriguez's rescue. This caused Del Rio to turn face and winning the World Heavyweight Championship from Big Show in a Last Man Standing match on the January 11 showing of SmackDown. AJ said that she felt that Cena had betrayed her when he told her not to attend his matches, and she turned heel and became the in-story girlfriend of Ziggler.

Ryback ended up getting his title rematch against Punk on the first Raw episode of 2013 in a TLC match, but again failed to capture it due to interference by The Shield. But The Rock defeated him and end his reign at 434 days at the Royal Rumble

After TLC, Eve Torres' rivalry with Kaitlyn was resurrected, with Kaitlyn racking up non-title victories over Eve. When the title was on the line, Kaitlyn won via disqualification in one match and by countout in a second match. On the January 14, 2013 edition of Raw, Kaitlyn defeated Eve to win her first WWE Divas Championship. After the match, Eve quit WWE.